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BACKGROUND
In January 2014, the Government of the Kingdom of Swaziland requested the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to provide technical assistance to the Government in the formulation of a national intellectual property (IP) policy and strategy. In response, following discussions between officials of the Regional Bureau for Africa and the Swazi authorities it was agreed as a first step in the process to organize a national workshop in Mbabane. Subsequently the National Intellectual Property (IP) Policy Workshop: The Strategic Use of IP for Technological Capacity Building, Economic Growth and Development, took place in Mbabane on May 19 and 20, 2014 (See attached Mission Report).
The Workshop came up with a number of recommendations which included inter alia:
(a) The Government of the Kingdom of Swaziland to set up a task force consisting of key stakeholders that may be involved in the undertaking of the mapping study and development of the policy in a consultative and participatory process;
(b) WIPO to provide technical assistance in commissioning international and national experts that may work together with members of soon to be created task force in the study as well as formulation of the national IP policy and strategy, which takes into account the needs and role of the Indigenous knowledge system (IKS);
(c) The Government of the Kingdom of Swaziland and WIPO to organize a forum where the findings of the study, outcome of the consultative process, and the draft policy and strategy including proposed operational framework will be presented and validated by the stakeholders; and
(d) The Government of the Kingdom of Swaziland to speed up the process of revising existing and enacting new IP laws, setting up and strengthening institutions that will enable implementation of the national IP policy and address the needs of creators, inventors and innovators.
Consequently, following further consultations between WIPO and the del |